The Bloodthirsty Dragon
by little lizard
Summary: *Chapter six is up!* Draco finds himself in a bit of a predicament when he relizes that there is a hunter at Hogwarts. R
1. The Phantom Eyes

A/N-- I know, I know, I should probably finish my other fics, but I've been having a bit of trouble with writer's block (. Well, this one's 'bout vamps. Wanna thank my best friend, Rachel, for being my beta reader and devout vamp expert, hehehe. Thanks, Rach!  
  
Disclaimer-- I own none of the characters except for Lita and Celest, who are mine!!!! The rest belong to Warner Bros., Scholastic, and the wonderful, magnificent, glorious, fabulous, awsome, fantastic, great, sepurb, breathtaking, brilliant, astonishing, splendid, goddess of all writers, J.K. Rowling.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Chapter One: The Phantom Eyes  
  
Draco Malfoy was in his 7th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was what most would call the 'prize jewel' of Slytherin. He was arrogant, aristocratic, aloof, rich, good at sports, a wondorous preformer, and he was a Malfoy. He had been the hero of the last Quidditch Inter-house Cup Chapionship, out-smarting Harry Potter with a Wonski Feint, catching the snitch first, and winning the cup from the Gryffindors for the first time in three years. He hadn't waisted anytime letting Potter get over his sad lose, either. In fact, he drove the knife into his gut and twisted it the first chance he got, like any true Slytherin would. Draco Malfoy was the perfect definition of a Slytherin.  
  
There was just one fault; one flaw.  
  
Draco Malfoy was a vampire.  
  
Now it may sound strange that the seemingly perfect Slytherin had any flaws, let alone one so grand. But, it was true. Over the summer, Draco had been transformed by a powerful vamp, painfully so. He had grown paler, if that was possible, and his eyes had gone from their beautiful silvery-blue to black as the raven's. but, to those who didn't know about Draco's transformation, he looked more or less the same.  
  
But, when Draco had been transformed, keeping his appeance inconspiquos was the very least of his worries. He needed blood; he craved human blood. How was he to survive at Hogwarts for nine months when he'd be thinking of his classmates as his next feast?  
  
At home, his father, Lucius, had suplied him with enough blood to keep him satiated, but his blood source was at the mansion. Quite a problem had arisen.  
  
Draco had settled with the simpler, yet quite unsatisfactory, solution. He could survive off the small animals that lived in the Forbidden Forest. But, what of his cravings? He couldn't just randomly kill a student every once and awhile, panic would arise. That was the last thing that he wanted. After much pondering, Draco figured he could sneek into Hogmead every so often and pick out a random traveler who hadn't been there long or was just about to leave. It would not do to arose suspision in the Ministry or panic in the town and school, so this was the safest way of doing things.  
  
And, for the first few months of the term, all had gone quite well. Draco used a nifty little potion he had mastered over the summer that allowed the drinker to become invisible for a few hours. He kept a hefty amount with him and would use it to slip out of the castle at night to hunt in the forest without being seen. And every now and then, when he could aford taking the risk, he'd slip out in the dead of night, transform himself into a raven and fly into Hogsmead. He'd pick out a random traveler, lure them into the hills and kill them.  
  
For his sake, Draco wouldn't drain them completely. Instead, he'd save a portion of the blood of his victim in a leather pouch to drink later. The small amount was enough to somewhat clam his wild craving for human blood, even if only for a short while.  
  
But, try as he might to avoid it, suspison did arise within Hogsmead. As the disappearances had been of travelers, they thought little of it at first. But, when it came around to the time of the disappearances, they had to think about it. Why would so many travelers just disappear from Hogsmead in the dead of night? It didn't make much sense. Thankfully, for Draco, none of the townspeople had connected the disappearances to a vampire.  
  
At least, none of the townspeople did.  
  
Draco soon began to have suspisions of his own. Those began one chilly winter afternoon in Potions. The dungeons were colder than usual and people could see their breath as they rubbed their hands together near the fires and pulled their cloaks tightly around themselves. Draco was forced to take breaths, which made him less able to concentrate. Professor Snape was lecturing the class on Death Potions and, as Draco already knew a great deal about them, he was bored out of his mind.  
  
A fly buzzed around Goyle's head and Draco occupied himself by coaxing it towards the fire with his mind. Finally, having lost his amusment, he had it throw itself into the fire.  
  
Draco found a bit of amusement when everyone around him jumped at the pop caused by the tiny creature and looked around for the sound, causing the rest of the room to look around for what everyone else was looking for. Snape, who had his back turned and hadn't noticed, continued his lecture, forcing those who were looking for the cause of the sound to turn their attention back to the front of the room and taking notes.  
  
Moments later, Draco could feel someone's eyes on him. The eyes did not lift their gaze like the others had. In fact, he felt as if the eyes were trying to see through him or read him. Draco, feeling great unease, spun around and looked about, but everyone was busy taking notes.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy," Snape said, causing Draco to spin back around. "Is anything wrong?"  
  
Draco shook his head. "No, Professor. Nothing is worng, nothing at all. Sorry, sir," he mumbled.  
  
Snape gave Draco a concerned and slightly questioning look, then nodded in understanding. "Then I suggest you try to keep your attention up here, where it belongs, Mr. Malfoy," Snape said.  
  
"Yes, sir," Draco mumbled, nodding but paying no attention as Snape continued.  
  
Draco heard a few Gryffindors sniggering and he heard Ron Weasley, who was seating just behind him, mumble to his friend Harry Potter, "Yeah, that's all Snape's little pet gets. A slap on the wrist and a warning. You'd have had 50 points taken away from Gryffindor and a detention before you could say 'sniditch'."  
  
Draco felt a twing of annoyance, he hated Harry Potter, but the thought of someone maybe knowing what he was occupied his mind much more than thoughts of how to kill Harry Potter did. He was relived when he didn't feel the eyes on him for the rest of the hour, but still it did not lessen the worry at all. He spent the rest of the hour pondering whether the person who had been watching him knew what he was or not and pretending to take notes.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Draco was jumpy for the whole of the following two weeks, feeling the phantom eyes on him more often than not. It didn't help any that he was dreadfully thirsty and desperatly needed to feed. His supply from his last kill was diminishing quickly and Draco could not find a single moment when he did not feel the phantom looming about. Because of this, he couldn't take the risk of rekindling his supplies without the being caught.  
  
Who was this phantom that stalked him? Why couldn't he figure it out? He could feel their aura, so why couldn't he read it? Draco's power, him being such a young power, was surprisingly strong, much stronger than it should be at his age. Aura reading was usually such a simple task for him, so why couldn't he read this one? Draco was aslo talented in mind reading, but the risk of blowing his cover kept him from trying this. Draco still had hope that his phantom didn't know what he was.  
  
But, beside the risk of blowing his cover, there was also the risk of someone noticing that he was weakening. As he couldn't hunt, he was reduced to only the little blood he had saved, and that was only enough to calm his cravings, not satisfy his hunger. He could feel his strength dwindling. He got dizzy when he stood up and he was having to fight to keep himself from collapsing when he walked for even the shortest distance.  
  
Lita, a Slytherin 7th year with long black hair and pale skin who had tranfered to Hogwarts from Durmstrang in her 5th year, was Draco's best friend. As they had been friends since childhood, Lita was the only soul in the school that Draco trusted with his secret. Lita found herself, often, helping Draco get from class to class, as when she came she made sure her schedual was identical to his, or holding him back in the Common room at night, which they had both deemed unsafe for Draco now, from jumping on one of the students and draining them.  
  
Draco, with the aid of Lita, reluctantly walked into the Potions classroom, earlier than usual. They were both surprised to see that five Gryffindors, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley, who had been moved up into Advanced Potions, were already in the classroom. Shaking it off, Lita turned to Draco and lightly pulled him towards a table on the opposite end of the room. "So," Lita whispered as she and Draco sat down among glares from the five Gryffindors on the opposite side of the room, "are you trying to freeze to death?" Lita shivered as a draft of cold air passed through the room and pulled her cloak tightly around her. Draco, on the other hand, sat on the table top, cross legged and cloak-less.  
  
"No," he replied, his voice in the same whispering volume that Lita's had been. "I can feel the phantom's aura when they are around and it's easier for me to read it without my cloak."  
  
Lita snorted. "What a load of bull," she said, looking up at Draco. "You forgot it, didn't you?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
Lita shook her head in amusement. "You're more forgetful than I am," she laughed.  
  
"Don't get used to it," Draco said, smiling at her. "This was a 'I-was-in-a- rush-and-accidently- left-it-on-my-bed' sort of thing. It's not like it'll start happening every day."  
  
Lita nodded mockingly. "Sure," she said sarcastically. "Don't worry, Draco, I believe you."  
  
Draco ignored Lita's last comment and looked over at the five students seated at the other end of the room. A mischevious grin crossed his lips and a malicious glint shined in his eyes. He looked back at Lita, who was grinning back at him. "Wanna have a bit of fun?" Draco asked.  
  
"Sure," Lita said. The two friends got up and crossed the room, Draco feeling a bit less dizzy this time. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" Draco said in mocking tone as he sat on the table next to were the five glaring Gryffindors sat in much the same manner as he did across the room.  
  
"Shove off, Malfoy," Harry snapped.  
  
"Feisty one, aren't we, Potter?" Draco said calmly, not moving from his spot. "I haven't said anything mean or cruel or down right not nice yet, have I?" he added defensivley, giving Harry a hurt look.  
  
Lita smiled as she leaned on the table that Draco was seated on. "Yet being the key word, Malfoy," Ron said, narrowing his eyes at Draco.  
  
"Aw, I have the feeling you don't like me," Draco said in a fake hurt voice. Lita hid her smile and turned her back, shaking from the effort to keep from laughing.  
  
"Well, you actually got something right, Malfoy. Congratulations," Hermione growled.  
  
Lita spun back around, the smile still across her lips. "Look who's talking, Mudblood," she said. Lita smiled satisfactically at the effect of these words. Draco jumped in front of her as Ron jumped at her and Harry growled, "You take that back!"  
  
Draco, using what little strength he had, shoved Ron into the table where Hermione sat. Draco stumbled back himself, weary from his efforts. Ron regained his balance and shot a deadly look at Draco. "Go be a dick head someplace else, Malfoy!" he growled.  
  
Draco smirked. "Language, Weasley. Especially when speaking before a pofessor." Draco smiled as Ron spun around and came face to face with Professor Snape.  
  
"Mr. Weasley," Snape said silkily, "I hope you understand that I will not tolerate such language inside my classroom. That will be ten points from Griffindor and a detention."  
  
Ron gasped. "A detention for that!?" he cried. "What kind of bull-"  
  
"And ten more points for talking back to a teacher!" Snape snapped. "Perhaps that shall teach you to hold back on your tounge wagging." Snape spun around and exited the room. Draco and Lita laughed. "My, my, Weasley," Draco sneered. "You really must learn to control your temper. Or maybe think up something a bit more creative than 'dick head'." Draco turned on his heel and walked back to the table across the room, Lita stumbling after him, using every bit of her will power to resist the urge to drop on the floor and bust up laughing.  
  
"Nice going, Draco," Lita said as Draco plopped down into his seat.  
  
"Throwing him back like that really took it out of me," Draco sighed. "I really need to feed."  
  
"You, know, I could-" Lita began.  
  
"No," Draco said sternly. "You will not go hurting yourself to help me, understand?"  
  
"But-"  
  
"No," Draco said in a 'there-will-be-no-more-discussion-on-the-matter' voice.  
  
"Draco, what's wrong?" Lita asked. Draco had frozen suddenly in his seat. He could feel the eyes on him again. He looked around the room quickly, but the only people there were the five Gryffindors.  
  
'Oh, no!' he thought. 'Oh dear Goddess of the Damned, no! It's a Gryffindor!' Draco breathed heavily and looked at Lita. "Lita, the phantom… the hunter… it's one of them!"  
  
A-N: well, that's it for Chapter one. Review, plz!!!! I want at least 10 reviews before I post chapter two. REVIEW! 


	2. Celest

A/N-- Second chapter!!! BTW, at the bottom of chapter on, Draco says 'Oh dear Goddess of the Damned.' For all you vamp lovers, I'm sorry, this was a typo. It should be 'Queen of the Damned.' Please don't reply and yell at me for it… :cringes and prepares to be attacked: well, hope you like this one. More happens!

Disclaimer-- I do not own Harry Potter or the related characters. They are copyright of Warner Bros., Scholastic and J.K. Rowling. I do own Lita and Celest. Do not take them with out asking me first. If you e-nail me and ask, I'll let you use them, all right? Thank you.

*          *            *            *            *

The hour slowly crawled by; minute by minute, second by second. Draco could still feel the phantom watching him and it made him squirm uneasily in his seat. He fingered the little golden cross that hung around his neck nervously. His classmates were beginning to notice his strange behavior. Usually the top student in Potions, Draco had jumped when Snape called on him and asked him about the potion of Half-Death. Draco had been so distracted that he hadn't been able to answer the question, even though he had written an essay on the potion that was 3 and 1/2 rolls of parchment long the previous month. Now, Draco pretended to take notes as Snape lectured the class on the antidotes they would learn to make in the following month and what poisons they would cure.

On his parchment, instead of notes, was a list of names.

Ginny Waesley

Neville Longbottom

Hermione Granger

Ron Weasley

Harry Potter

He was currently thinking of the possibility of each of them in turn. He knew one of them had to be the hunter. The only problem was that he was having an awful lot of trouble thinking of the possible culprit when he could still feel the eyes on him. Finally, the eyes lifted off of him. Draco sighed quietly, able to think for at least a moment.

'Hmm… Weasley is a strong witch, but she is much too shy and gentle to be a hunter,' Draco thought. He crossed Ginny's name off the list. 'Longbottom…. If he's the hunter, than I'm sweet and warm to others.' Draco crossed Neville's name off the list. 'Granger…. Now Granger is the type that might be a hunter. She's strong, smart and quick witted. But… I doubt that she is the hunter. You can't learn to be a hunter by simply reading books.' Draco lowered his quill onto the parchment and was about to scratch off Hermione's name as well when he changed his mind. 'No, she might just be the hunter. I'd better keep an eye on her.' Draco jumped to the next name on the list. 'Weasley… is a bit too stupid to be a hunter. No, he's _way too stupid to be a hunter. His family is an old one, there may have been a hunter or two in there before, but for some one that has as big a mouth as he does, he would have blabbed it to the whole school by now.' Draco crossed Ron's name off the list. 'Now, Potter. Well, he does have good instincts. There is a possibility that there may have been a few hunters on his father's side, and with instincts like his. They make him dangerous. He could easily be the hunter. Granger or Potter? Granger or Potter?'_

"Draco. Draco! The bell's rung! Let's go!" Lita tugged at Draco's arm.

"Oh!" Draco got up and put his things away. He followed Lita, but stopped at the door. He crumpled up the list and threw it in the trash.

Lita looked at him strangely. "What was that?" she asked.

"Nothing," Draco said. "Let's get down to the Great Hall for dinner."

*          *            *            *            *

Draco ate nothing, but, instead, only pushed the food on his plate around with his fork; his face was contorted in a thoughtful expression. 'Granger or Potter? Granger or Potter?' The thought ran through his head once again and the frustration of not knowing who it was was making Draco quite irritable. Lita sat next to Draco, looking concerned.

"Draco. Draco, talk to me!" Lita pleaded. "Please."

"What's wrong, Li-ta?" Pansy Parkinson's taunting voice sang from behind Lita.

"Go away, Pansy," Lita growled through clenched teeth.

"Aw. Is little Lita having a fight with her boy-friend?" Pansy chuckled.

There was a _clang as Draco dropped his fork, causing the whole of the hall to turn in their seats, ready for a fight. "Grow up, Pansy," Draco snapped, spinning around to face the tall girl._

Pansy jumped, shocked at Draco's sudden, and lightning fast, reaction. "Gee, Draco," she said in a whiny voice. The whole hall had their eyes locked on Draco, Pansy and Lita, waiting for the next move. Some were whispering about a catfight behind their hand. Even the teachers sat staring, apparently too shocked at the pairing to move. Pansy's eyes flashed at Lita. "Why'd you ever go for a tramp like that, anyway?"

Draco jumped up from his seat. "Don't you dare call Lita a tramp, you little slut!" he snapped. The students, and several of the teachers, gasped, some cheered, while others were to shocked to make a sound.

Pansy looked at Draco, her face fallen. "Oh, I see," she said, turning to leave. "I know when I'm not wanted."

Draco snorted. 'Seems like you finally learned something Pansy," he said coldly. More gasps and shocked silence filled the hall.

Pansy spun back around, shot Draco a pained look, and then ran from the hall crying. The whole of the hall was silent and staring at Draco, who sat down as soon as the great oak doors closed. "What are you all staring at?" he spat, causing everyone in the hall, except for the teachers, to return to their normal, well, slightly changed, chatter, most of them talking loudly of the row that was just held. Some of the teacher gradually stopped watching Draco and resumed their normal talk, while those few who continued to watch him, such as McGonigall and Snape, exchanged worried and confused looks.

"Draco," Lita said quietly, so not to get the notice of the whole hall again, "don't you think you were just a tad bit _too hard on Pansy?"_

"Absolutely not," Draco replied sternly, but in the same hushed voice as Lita. "She needs to stop soaring around in a fantasy world and land herself back in reality."

"I guess you are right," Lita mumbled.

Draco resumed pushing his food around, losing himself in his thoughts. Lita watched him for a few moments before she shook her head, dismissing his actions, and went back to her food.

*          *            *            *            *

Now that Draco had narrowed his suspects down, he felt safe to sneak out and feed. He decided to try out a new animal form and use it to slip into the woods instead of using the potion. Draco came to the large front doors leading out onto the grounds and stopped. He glanced around to make sure that no one was watching, and then turned himself into a small, pure-black ferret.

He scurried into the woods, which were their usual inky black selves, and transformed back into his human form. Draco caught a couple large rabbits and drained them, feeling better than he had in the past two weeks. It wasn't much, but it would do for now. He leaned back against the trunk of a tree and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the night, the hoot of the owls, the chirp of the crickets, the flutter of a bats wing. Draco sighed, feeling completely at peace.

But, that peace didn't last for long. Draco jumped as he heard two voices and the snap of twigs breaking under the _clop, clop of hooves on the forest floor. 'Great,' Draco thought, ' centaurs.'_

Draco transformed back into a ferret and scrambled behind a tree as the centaurs rounded a corner and came into view. "What is this?" asked the older of the two centaurs when he saw the two dead rabbits. Draco mentally slapped himself as he realized his stupidity. Two animals don't just drop dead of natural causes at the same time and place and on these animals there was no visible wound, except for the bit marks that he himself had made.

The younger of the two bent over and picked up one of the dead rabbits. "Something has drained its blood," he said knowingly.

"I can see that, Fenrir," said the older centaur, not pleased with being told the obvious.

The younger centaur, Fenrir, sniffed the air. "Whatever is killing off these poor creatures is still here, in this clearing," he said.

"Fenrir, there is nothing in this clearing but a couple of dead rabbits," said the older centaur, looking frustrated.

"But, Cleope," Fenrir started.

"Now, Fenrir, I want you to forget about the rabbits and come back to the village," said the older centaur, named Cleope, as he started back the way they had come.

"But-"

"Forget it," Cleope said sharply, turning slightly so to face Fenrir.

"Alright," Fenrir sighed. "But, can I stay out for a bit longer? I want to look at the stars… by myself."

Cleope smiled. "Alright. But don't stay out too long." Cleope turned and headed back for the Centaur Village, leaving Fenrir alone in the clearing.

Draco's mouth dropped open. He'd been sitting in the shadows of the tree, as a ferret, for the entire conversation, not moving a muscle. If he'd still been alive, he would have held his breath, as well. But now, he just stared at Fenrir, who was examining the rabbits. He couldn't believe his luck, or the stupid thought running through his head. But, he ignored the stupidity of the thought, for he was still very hungry. 

He transformed back into his human form, staying silent in the shadows of the trees. When Fenrir's back was to him, he moved quickly and quietly from the shadows and up next to Fenrir, who froze. "Who- who's there?" Fenrir asked shakily, not turning around, maybe for the fear of what he might see if he did. 

Draco remained silent, reaching out with his mind. 'Sleep,' he commanded. Draco could have jumped for joy when Fenrir's body became limp and toppled to the ground. Draco was still a young vampire so his powers were very weak, even if he was surprisingly strong for a vampire of his age. Draco dropped to his knees next to Fenrir, lifting the centaur's limp head. He bent over, exposing two long, sharp fangs, and bit hard into Fenrir's tough skin.

*          *            *            *            *

Draco nearly ran back to the Slytherin Tower, mentally slapping himself for his stupidity. Fenrir's disappearance would not go unnoticed in the Centaur Village, not even for a short period of time. He just _had to let his appetite take control, didn't he? He'd been working hard on controlling himself in the past seven months, so not to bit a student, but then, all in one night, all that hard work caved in because of one, lone centaur. Draco might as well not have fed for months, because now he would defiantly not get to feed as often as necessary. The centaurs would have that forest protected better than Fort Knox._

Draco was so wrapped into his thoughts that he nearly ran into the wall that led to the Slytherin Commons. He shook his head clear for a moment, said, "Basilisk," to the wall, and hurriedly walked into the Common Room. There was only one person there, but she was not a student.

"Celest," Draco said coldly, but with a tinge of surprise in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

The woman stood up and turned to face Draco, locking his silvery-blue eyes with her black ones. She was tall, slim, with black hair and pale skin, and was very beautiful. The only thing that took away from her beauty was the scowl she was wearing at the moment. She stepped forward, causing Draco to back into the wall, a slight twinge of fear in his eyes. "What were you thinking?" she asked coldly, her voice soft but demanding at the same time. "Or should I say, why weren't you?"

"I couldn't help it?" Draco tried, searching for any way to escape from the older woman.

"Yes you could have!" she hissed, grabbing his arm tightly and making him jump. "If you couldn't have helped it, half of the students in this school would be dead by now!"

Draco yanked his arm out of Celest's. "I've been deprived of blood for two weeks strait!" he growled. "I couldn't take much longer!"

"I could go for twice that long without blood and still be strong enough to survive." Celest said, not sounding impressed with Draco's excuse.

"You may be able to," Draco protested, narrowing his eyes, "but I'm not. I'm still _young, remember? I can't go that long without blood! I was getting so weak that Lita had to practically __carry me from class to class!"_

Celest's expression softened for a moment, making her beauty shine full and true. If any other man besides Draco, who knew what she was really like, saw her now, they would instantly fall in love and throw themselves from a cliff for her, like someone under a Veela's, or a Siren's, spell. Celest seemed to be thinking, and thinking hard. "Who is the _Lita person?" she asked finally._

"She's and old friend of mine, why do you ask?" Draco hissed.

"Does she know?" Celest asked, looking at Draco, again locking his eyes in her's.

Draco, who was busy looking into those eyes like they were pits that were fathomlessly deep, said nothing and only nodded.

Celest broke eye contact with him and looked up at the stairs leading to the girl's dormitories. "Someone was there," she said. Draco looked onto the stairway as well and saw a tiny golden speck shining in the light. He rushed over to the stairs and picked it up, gasping. It was a golden charm bracelet with little birds and butterflies dangling from its chain.

"This is Pansy's!" he gasped.

A/N—Well, what have we here? A cliffhanger??? ::evil laughter:: What has Pansy seen? And what does she know??? Dun dun dun!!!! Review now! I love you?


	3. The Dragon Plushie

A/N-- Well, here is chapter 3! Personally, I love the flash back and the little precious moments scene ;p Hope you like!  
  
Disclaimer-- I do not own Harry Potter or the related characters (awwww). I think you already know this part... I not, go back... it's written there. I do own Lita and Celest. THEY ARE MINE!!!! Please do not take them and use them without asking me. You can e-mail me and ask me, and I will let you use them, but be considerate and get permission first. Thank you.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Chapter 3: The Dragon Plushie  
  
Draco plopped down onto his bed, fingering the charm bracelet as he gazed out the open window next to his four-poster bed. What had she seen? What had she heard? And what did she know? These questions chased eachother around his already troubled mind as he laid the bracelet down on his night-stand next to a dragon plushie. He paused and glanced at the plushie. He smiled, picked it up and tossed it from hand to hand. `I remember when Lita gave this to me,' he thought as he lay back on the bed, still clutching the plushie. His mind drifted into a memory from many years before.  
  
*****  
  
Lita sat next to Draco on the porch of the Malfoy Manor, a grand building of old that was well taken care of. There was a sad look on both of their faces as they looked out into the well tended gardens, not one turning his of her head to look in the others direction. They were silent. Only the wind whistling in the trees and the chirping of birds could be heard. It is very odd to see two nine year old children sitting on a porch in silence, even if they were brought up in the elite of elite society.  
  
Lita sniffled, finally turning to look at Draco. "I don't know why Daddy wants me to go," she said sadly. "I could stay with Sevi! I'm sure of it! Why wont he let me?"  
  
Draco said nothing. He sat still and silent, staring at a large oak across the yard.  
  
"Draco," Lita said, sounding as concerned as a nine year old can without a whining tone in his or her voice.  
  
Draco still said nothing and looked out into the yard, the corners of his small mouth hung in a frown and the pain in his eyes would have broken the hearts of all who would have looked into his eyes, if anyone were around to look.  
  
"Draco! Please! Say something!" Lita pleaded, all concern of keeping her voice from sounding whinny was gone. She jumped up and stood in front of Draco.  
  
Slowly, Draco looked up at his childhood friend. A silent tear ran down his cheek as he turned his gaze away from her.  
  
"Draco, I don't want to go, but I have to! Daddy said so!" Lita said, sitting down next to Draco.  
  
"I-I just don't want you to leave," He said slowly, choaking back a sob.  
  
Lita hugged him and started to cry. "I don't want to leave either!" Draco hugged her back and started to cry as well. They sat there like that for only a few moments, but to Draco, it felt like an eternity. He didn't want to let her go. She was his best friend! He couldn't let her go! There wasn't a single person in the world who cared as much about him as she did and he didn't want to let her leave, no matter what her father had said.  
  
"You're not gonna forget about me, are you?" Draco asked, still sobbing as he pulled out of the hug.  
  
"Nuh-uh," Lita said, shaking her head. "And just to make sure you wouldn't, I had Daddy buy this for you." Lita pulled a bag that Draco hadn't noticed before now between the two of them. She pulled a bundle out of it and handed it to Draco.  
  
"Really?" Draco asked, taking the bundle.  
  
Lita nodded. "Open it," she said, nudging him.  
  
Draco did so. He pulled the string and let the paper drop. He found himself holding a little toy dragon plushie. Its body was dark green and its wings were a silvery-blue; its talens and horns colored gold. Draco smiled. "Thanks," he said. "Oh!" Draco stood up and motioned for Lita to do the same. She did. "I got you something, too. But it's in my room," Draco said.  
  
"Let's go then!" Lita said, smiling.  
  
Lita followed Draco into the manor and up several flights of stairs until they reached two large oak doors. They entered a dimly lit living room furnished with several squashy armchairs and a sofa. The fireplace was large and very fancy and old fashioned. The mantelpiece was adorned with figurines of dragons and griffins and on the walls hung a few pictures of Draco and Lita together, along with a picture of a single, beautiful woman of which Draco only knew from stories; his mother.  
  
Draco hurried across the room and opened another large oak door. Lita followed him into another room. This room was different. The walls of this room were covered in bookcases, every one of the shelved loaded with books of every sort imaginable. It was furnished with a couple armchairs and a table. In the middle of the table was a lamp that gave off sufficient reading light. Next to the lamp was a small, brown paper bundle. Draco walked over to the table and picked up the bundle and handed it to Lita.  
  
Lita opened the bundle hastely. The paper dropped to the floor to reveal a marvousley well carved music box. The sides were decorated with blue roses and little swirls. On the top was carved a single, large blue rose suronded in yet more swirls. "Open it," Draco said. Lita nodded and opened the lid of the jewelry box. Inside was a beautiful, tiny porcline woman waering a flowing blue gown. One arm held up a coner of the gown to reveal a tiny golden slipper. Her eyes were brillant green and her hair the color of a raven's plumage. The music box played the tune to a Muggle song called "Everything I do," Lita's favorite song.  
  
Lita looked up, smiling. "Thank you, Draco," she said softly, pulling Draco into another hug. Draco hugged her back, still holding the dragon plushie.  
  
"Lita!" a voice rang from the foot of the stairs. "It's time to go, lady bird."  
  
Lita pulled out of the hug this time. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I've got to go, Draco. My nurse is calling." Lita took a step back, then pause to look at Draco. Had he any less will power, he would have begun to cry again, but he chocked back his tears.Lita turned away and walked out of the room, leaving Draco alone as the nurse called out to Lita again. When he heard the double oak doors close, he slumped into a chair and started to cry, hugging the dragon.  
  
*****  
  
Draco sighed and hugged the plushie, a smile on his lips. 'But every one was happy, in the end,' he said to himself, remembering the smile on Lita's face when her father had told her that she could stay with her God-father, Severus Snape, while he and her mother were away in America.  
  
He started as he heard the door creak open. "Draco?" came a soft whisper from the doorway, just barely loud enough for him to hear and not near loud enough to wake even the lightest sleeper.  
  
Draco stood up and went to the door. Lita stood there, her face contorted with worry. "What is it?" he asked softly.  
  
Lita motioned for him to follow her. Draco set the dragon plushie back down on the night-stand and followed her. She led him down the stairs to the Common room and they sat down, opposite each other. Lita looked up into Draco's eyes and sighed. "Draco," she started, "Pansy came up into the dorm and woke me up rambling about seeing you talking with some woman and she said that she heard the woman say that you killed someone. Draco, I know she was talking about Celest. Why would she come here just because you killed someone? You've done it before."  
  
"Because, Lita. I killed a centaur," Draco said slowly, his voice no higher than whisper.  
  
Lita gasped. "But Dumbledore will find out! They'll search the entire school!" she breathed.  
  
Draco nodded. "I know that, but I wasn't thinking of caution when I killed the thing. Don't forget, I haven't fed in weeks."  
  
"And now you won't feed for an even longer time!" Lita protested. "I'm sure that they will even have the forest surrounded!"  
  
Draco nodded in agreement but said no more. He stared at the wall behind Lita, thinking hard. "Lita," he said after the long pause, "did you modify Pansy's memory?"  
  
Lita shook her head. "No, Draco, I didn't. Why?"  
  
"What if she goes to Dumbledore?" Draco asked.  
  
Lita smiled. "I'm sure she won't, Draco. Remember, she adores you."  
  
Draco shook his head. "What about that scene in the Great Hall tonight?" he asked. Lita nodded. "Do you really think that she will adore me after I yelled at her like that?"  
  
"Oh no," Lita gasped. "After that, she'll go strait to Dumbledore."  
  
"I know," Draco said. Suddenly, Draco jumped. He felt the phantom eyes on him once again.  
  
"Draco! What's wrong?" Lita gasped as she saw Draco tense.  
  
Draco felt the eyes lift and he let out the breath that he had inhaled. "I was nothing," he said. "Just a cold draft." 'Draft my ass! What would the hunter be doing in here? And how'd they get in?'  
  
"Draco," Lita started.  
  
"I'm going to go to bed," he said, standing up. "I think you should, too. It's late and they are probably going to be questioning people tomorrow. Good night." With that, he spun around and headed up the staircase to his dorm, leaving Lita alone in the Common room.  
  
Lita watched as he left and frowned. 'Why did you have to do this to me? Why did you have to go and get mixed up with a vampire?'  
  
  
A/N-- I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible. R&R! Thank you! 


	4. Blackmail

A/N—Here's chapter 4! Umm… not much to say… ::sings:: I'm being mean ::stops singing:: R&R!!  
  
Disclaimer—I do not own Harry Potter… awww… Get it through your heads!!!! I shouldn't have to tell you again!!!! ::huff huff:: ::smile:: I do own Lita and Celest, tho. They are my characters. I came up with them. Do not take them with out asking. Thank you and have fun!  
  
*****  
  
Chapter Four: Blackmail  
  
  
  
Draco was jerked awake by Blaise Zabini. He stirred as the sweet morning air wafted into the room with the sent of wildflowers and morning dew. Draco stifled a yawn as he sat up, stiff and tired.  
  
"Wadaoowan?" Draco yawned, slightly opening one eye.  
  
"Wake up, will you?" Blaise asked irritably, shaking Draco. "Dumbledore's called the whole school down to the Great Hall. Some sort of highly important meeting." Blaise pulled on the other boy's arm as Draco yawned again.  
  
'Wow. I didn't know the man was so quick. But, it's not like he's unpredictable,' Draco thought. "What's it about?" Draco asked.  
  
"I don't know," Blaise answered truthfully. "But, whatever it is, it has got all the teachers upset."  
  
Draco stretched and looked up at Blaise. "Upset, huh?" he said, cocking an eyebrow. "Wonder what could get them all worked up." Draco stood up and pulled his black silk pajama shirt over his head, revealing a finely toned chest and stomach. Blaise stared for a second before turning away, blushing. Draco chuckled. "You wouldn't mind leaving while I got dressed, would you?"  
  
Blaise shook his head. "Good," said Draco. "I'll meet you in the Great Hall when I get down there, alright?"  
  
"Alright," Blaise said, leaving and shutting the door behind him.  
  
Draco shook his head in amusement as he folded his pajama shirt neatly and laid it down on the chair next to his bed. He quickly got dressed, his thoughts meandering around his mind with no particular place to go. Finally, he hurried out of the room to head down to the Great Hall.  
  
*****  
  
Draco rushed down the halls, not running but walking at a fast pace, and toward the Great Hall. His mind began to buzz with questions as he rounded a corner with a dizzying sharpness. What if Dumbledore already knew it was him? What if he was going to be revealed to the entire school? What if he was going to be killed? These questions and many others chased each other through his rather troubled mind.  
  
As Draco hurried down the Grand Staircase, he accidentally ran into someone, knocking both them and himself over. Draco landed with a surprised "Oof," mumbled, "I'm sorry," and looked up to see who he had hit. He let out a groan as he saw Harry Potter stand up next to his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and brushed off his robes.  
  
"Why don't you watch where you're going, Malfoy?" Harry growled.  
  
Draco rolled his eyes. Of all the people, he thought. "Why don't you watch where you stick that fat ass of your's, eh?" he said coolly.  
  
"Shove off, Malfoy," Ron snapped.  
  
"Blow it out your ears," Draco growled at Ron, standing up and dusted off his own robes. "Besides, I was just going down to the Great Hall. You started the argument, not me." Draco really didn't feel like stirring up any more chaos and get him in more trouble than he was already in.  
  
"If you hadn't run into me," Harry started defensively, clenching his fists.  
  
"Hey! I said I was sorry. No need to get all uppity, Potter," Draco said calmly, spinning around on his heel and starting off for the Great Hall. He calmly flipped off the already fuming Harry, the red faced Ron and the unusually quiet Hermione over his shoulder as he hurried down the steps toward the Great Hall.  
  
When Draco reached the bottom of the Grand Staircase, he froze. His eyes widened as he felt the phantom eyes upon him once again. Damn, he thought. Not now. Anytime but now. He shut his eyes tightly and willed for the eyes to go away. He was surprised when it actually worked and he felt them lift. Maybe it's just my imagination, he thought as he smiled and started off again, hearing the footsteps of Harry and his friends as they started down the stairs.  
  
*****  
  
The Great hall was buzzing with excited chatter, as usual, but the teachers, however, sat unusually quiet at the Head Table. Draco turned his attention away from the Head Table and focused it on Blaise, who was excitedly discussing the many possibilities why Dumbledore may have called the whole school down to the Great Hall.  
  
"Maybe somebody is getting expelled!" Mullicent Bullstroad piped up hopefully.  
  
"Maybe Potter is getting expelled," Blaise said dreamily. "He did something so bad that Dumbledore was finally forced to expel his star pupil and so he called the whole school together to say good-bye."  
  
"Nah," Draco said, shaking his head. "If little mister goody-two-shoes Potty-boy was getting expelled, Snape would be skipping around and singing cheesy songs instead of looking worried. Besides, I ran into him over on my way down."  
  
"Oh, you saw Potter?" Pansy asked in a higher voice than usual. Lita looked up at her from the far side of the table, an annoyed expression on her face. For some reason, she was sitting further away from Draco than usual, as she normally took a seat right next to him.  
  
"No," Draco replied. "I ran into him and knocked him down." A couple of the other Slytherins snickered. Pansy just frowned. She gave Lita a sidelong glance and smirked evilly.  
  
"I know why we're all here," she whispered only loud enough for Draco to hear as she slowly walked around the edge of the table where Draco was sitting and took a seat next to him. "It's about that person you killed, Draco." Pansy smirked as she said Draco's name and saw him flinch. "Yes. That's right, I know," she whispered merrily.  
  
"I know you know," Draco growled at her, though his voice was as hushed as her's was. "You're not as stealthy as you'd like to think you are."  
  
Pansy frowned. "You should be nice to me, Draco," she hissed back. "If you don't, I'll go strait to Dumbledore."  
  
"No you won't," Draco said, though he seriously doubted this statement.  
  
"Are you so sure Draco?" Pansy asked, fixing him with a glare that made him gasp. My Gods, he thought as she scooted closer, she's serious! Pansy smiled as she saw his reaction. She slid a hand up his thigh, making him shiver in disgust. "You'll do what I tell you to do or I'll sell you out."  
  
Draco gulped as she squeezed his thigh. Oh, fuck! What am I going to do? Pansy smiled a triumphant smile when he said nothing and turned her head toward the Head Table to wait for Dumbledore, keeping her hand on his thigh to make sure he didn't leave.  
  
*****  
  
Ten minutes later, Professor Dumbledore walked into the hall, quieting it. He walked between the four tables toward the head of the Great Hall, the heels of his boots clicking on the stone floor and echoing through the deadly silent hall. Draco found himself nervously playing with the hem of his robes as Dumbledore walked past his table. Pansy smirked and grasped his hand in her's. "Don't worry," she cooed so silently that even he could barely hear her. "No one will find out as long as you do what I say." Draco didn't attempt to move away, in the silent hall it would defiantly attract attention that he really didn't need.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Draco, Dumbledore reached the head of the hall and turned to face the students. His face was emotionless, but his crystal-blue eyes flared with anger. Everyone in the hall watched in silence, waiting for him to speak.  
  
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "My dear students, I have shocking news for you. Late last night, a centaur in the forest was killed. Though the death of a centaur may not interest you or shock you, the way he died may. After investigating the body, we discovered bite marks that indicate that he was killed by a vampire."  
  
The hall filled with startled gasps and shrieks. Pansy shot Draco a scared look, removing her hand from his leg. After a moment, she smirked. She gripped his arm and leaned closer to him. "It looks like I've got more dirt on you than I could have ever imagined," she whispered, chuckling. Draco turned his head away and sat there, chewing on his lower lip, wishing he could just jump out of his seat and run out of the hall and not look back.  
  
Dumbledore raised his arms to quiet the hall once again. When the nervous chatter died down, he began again. "We also have reason to believe, according to the information we have received from the centaurs, that the vampire has been around Hogwarts for quite some time." More gasps and shrieks filled the hall and a few people fainted. Dumbledore again raised his arms to silence the hall, clearing his throat once more. "And, to make things worse, we have reason to believe that the vampire may be among us right now, in this very room."  
  
No gasps filled the hall this time, only a deafening silence. Best friends looked at each other and gave each other suspicious, searching looks, as if they were strangers, girls pulled away from their boyfriends and boys scooted away from their girlfriends. Everyone was searching the people around them, expecting even their best friend to be looking at them as if they were food now. Draco half expected Dumbledore to turn to him and point him out to the rest of the school, but he didn't. He merely stood there, waiting for the tension to die down. After of few minutes (which passed like hours) of the unnerving silence, Dumbledore spoke again.  
  
"If, indeed, the vampire is among us, I ask him or her to please come to me and reveal yourself. If this is done, I promise no harm will come to you. If not, I will be forced to bring in a professional. And let me be the first to tell you that I will not stop him or her from killing you. Thank you." With that, the teachers stood and followed Dumbledore out of the hall. The Head Boy and Head Girl stood before the nervous hall, still shaken into silence.  
  
"All students will return to their common rooms and stay there until further notice," Albert, the Head Boy, said loudly. "Meals will be taken up to the common rooms. No sneaking out. Prefects are in charge and will see to it that all students stay in the common rooms. Do not, and I repeat, do not leave the common rooms. There will be sever consequences for all who fail to comply."  
  
The students rose from their seats silently and began to shuffle out of the hall behind their prefects. Draco, who was a prefect, stood before the panicking Slytherins as the Main Hall filled with nervous chatter. Gods, there goes my secured position as Head Boy next year, Draco thought miserably. "Stay calm," he said, projecting his voice so that it rose over the nervous chatter of the hall. The hall grew silent and directed its attention to him. Hermione glanced over at Draco, quite taken aback that he was successful in doing the one thing that all the other prefects were failing so miserably at. Well, those speech classes sure did come in handy, he thought with a half smile on his face.  
  
"Right then," he said to the Slytherins as the other prefects gathered their groups together. "No wandering off, is that clear?"  
  
There were several mumbled "yeses" and many noddings of heads.  
  
"Way to go, Draco," Blaise whispered. Blaise was also a prefect, though this had come as a mild surprise to Draco the year before as Blaise had a tendency to slack off on his schoolwork.  
  
Draco nodded at him then face the Slytherins again. "Alright, prefects, keep the group together. Let's go." The group began to march off toward the Slytherin Tower, the chatter beginning to rise up again. Draco fell behind, following at several paces. Pansy fell behind as well and walked with Draco, who dared not try and shake her off.  
  
She smirked at him. "I'm going to have fun tonight. Whether you like it or not, I really don't care. But, when we get back to the common rooms, you're coming with me, go it?" she said quietly.  
  
Draco remained silent. I think I'm going to be sick, he thought. No, I'm defiantly going to be sick if she got in mind what I think she's got in mind.  
  
"Draco," Pansy hissed impatiently. "I asked you a question."  
  
Draco groaned. "Yes, I understand," he said reluctantly.  
  
"Good," Pansy said, smiling.  
  
Yep, I'm going to be sick, Draco thought as they walked back to the Slytherin Tower in silence. When everyone was settled and chatting, albeit nervously, Pansy dragged Draco into the shadows and up the stairs to her dorm.  
  
Only one person saw them leave. 


	5. Logic Is Not Always the First Thing on t...

A/N— Argh!!! Short chapter!!!! Well, this one had nowhere else to go and the next chapter is longer with more action… and more dialog. Everyone likes dialog sequences! Well, hope you enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer— Do I really need to do this? *narrator: yes!* ::whiny voice:: why?? *umm… cuz!* Ay! Well, I don't own Harry Potter or its related characters. They are copyright of Warner Bros., Scholastic and J.K. Rowling. I do own Lita and Celest. Please do not take them without my permission. Thank you. *see, that wasn't that hard* Yeah, but it sure bores the hell out of me!  
  
*****  
  
Chapter Five: Logic Is Not Always the First Thing on the Mind  
  
Draco woke up the next morning in Pansy's bed, feeling awfully sick to his stomach. Pansy sat next to him, fully dressed and smirking. "Well," she said, glancing up and down the covers that hid Draco's body from view, "it was good for me. What about you?"  
  
Draco groaned. Whatever have I gotten myself into? he asked himself.  
  
"Well, I hope you did have a good time last night, Draco," came an angry voice from the next bed.  
  
"Lita!" Draco gasped, blushing.  
  
"Well, Li-ta," Pansy sang tauntingly, "looks like I'm with Draco now, as he's sleeping with me."  
  
"Shut you trap, Pansy," Lita growled. "How dare you take advantage of Draco like that just to spite me! You're nothing but a filthy little cowardice tramp!" Lita then turned to Draco, a sad look on her face. "How could you let her take advantage of you like that? Or did you go on your own free will?"  
  
"Draco," Pansy said threateningly. "Are you going to let her talk to me like that?"  
  
Draco hid his face in his hand. What am I going to do? How did I ever let this happen? he asked himself. He wanted to side with Lita, she was his best friend, after all, but he didn't want Pansy to go to Dumbledore.  
  
"Draco…" Pansy growled.  
  
That's it! A light bulb clicked on in his mind as the answer rushed to him. It really would be so much easier if I just turned myself in! Dumbledore said he'd send in a professional hunter if I didn't, so I might as well…  
  
"Draco!" Pansy yelled.  
  
"Enough!" Draco said, jumping up. "You know, it was stupid that I didn't figure this out before! And I don't have to listen to you, bitch," Draco growled at Pansy, angry with her and himself. "I'm going to Dumbledore on my own." And with that, he spun around and walked out of the room before either Pansy or Lita could stop him.  
  
*****  
  
Once in the halls of Hogwarts, Draco nearly ran to Dumbledore's office. When he finally came to the entrance he mentally cursed himself. He didn't have the slightest clue what the password was.  
  
Draco was about to turn to leave, defeated, when Professor McGonigall and Professor Snape rounded the corner, talking in hushed voices.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonigall gasped in surprise when she saw him. "Why aren't you in your common room?"  
  
"I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore," Draco said, hoping that, maybe, one of the professors would open the entrance for him.  
  
"What for?" Snape asked, quirking an eyebrow.  
  
Draco thought for a second, then said quickly, "It- it's about the vampire. I know who it is."  
  
"No worries, Mr. Malfoy," McGonigall said, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. "We've got that all taken care of. We are bringing in a hunter tomorrow."  
  
"What!?" Draco asked hoarsely.  
  
"A hunter, Mr. Malfoy. They kill vampires." McGonigall said, surprised at Draco's behavior. Even she knew he was very bright.  
  
"I know that!" Draco said, fighting to stay calm. "But, why so early?"  
  
"We don't want any more accidents," Snape said, a bit confused.  
  
"Oh… but, I- I still need to talk to the Professor," Draco said, albeit shakily. "He sent me a letter today asking me to return home. He's… worried about all this vampire business and I need to discuss the matter with Dumbledore."  
  
"McGonigall thought for a moment, then sighed. "Very well, Mr. Malfoy," she said, stepping in front of the gargoyle. "Honey Stick."  
  
The gargoyle came to life and sprang out of the way. Draco sighed with relief and thanked the professors as he walked off up the stairs.  
  
When he reached the large oak front door he froze. Do I really want to do this? He asked himself. *Do you want to end up back in Pansy's bed?* said a voice in the back of his mind. Draco shook his head. He figured it was a much better idea to turn himself in then sleep with Pansy again. He nodded to himself then knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in," came Dumbledore's voice. Draco gulped, opened the door and stepped into the large office. "Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said with slight surprise. "What is it?"  
  
Draco closed the door behind him. "Have you already sent for the hunter?" he asked quickly.  
  
Dumbledore gave him a shocked expression. "No, I haven't," he said, confusion slipping into his voice.  
  
"Then your offer still stands?" Draco asked, sounding a bit relieved.  
  
"What is this all about, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I've come to turn myself in, Professor," Draco said, standing up at his full height (which was still awfully short). He gulped. "I- I'm the vampire."  
  
*****  
  
A/N—Okie dokie! Woah! Short chapter! Is it just me or does it seem that my A/Ns are longer than the actual chapter? Chapter six should be up around Saturday or Sunday, alrighty? I'm not sure if I will get a chance to type it up, but the story is in my notebook, finished! So, woohoo! No long waiting period! ::dances:: And the final chapters of some my other stories are being written and typed, but I'm not exactly sure how they are going to end… Even my DMD fic has yet to be decided cuz I'm not really liking my final chapter (. K, um, I haven't done this a lot and I think it's about time I did. I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed; you're all so great! And blah blah blah blah blah… ::continues praising reviewers, but as the narrator, I know you don't want to hear it:: Hey! You blahed out my praises! Neway, the hunter will soon be revealed, so be patient! *she's waiting 'til the last chapter to tell you all that-* Shut up! You'll give it away! So, neway, that's all! Review, plz????? ::gives sad puppy eyes:: 


	6. Surprises in the Astronomy Tower

A/n—Here's chapter six, people! ::crowd goes wild:: Hope you like! And don't forget to review. I love all you wonderful reviewers! ::blows kisses::  
  
Disclaimer— I can't believe I still have to tell you all this. ::shakes head in bewilderment:: I do not own Draco ::sob:: or Harry Potter's other characters. ::pulls out J.K. plushie and hugs it:: The wonderful Goddess of writers does. ::smirk:: I do own Lita and Celest. ::Mo-Jo Jo-Jo voice:: They are mine. I created them. They are not yours. You must ask for my permission before you use them because they belong to me, for I created them. They are mine. ::continues rant::  
  
*****  
  
Chapter Six— Surprises in the Astronomy Tower  
  
Professor Dumbledore looked at Draco in shock. Draco mentally slapped himself for so readily coming to Dumbledore and revealing himself, but how much of a choice had he had? He didn't even fully understand why he had allowed Pansy to get the best of him if Dumbledore was only going to send for a hunter anyway. Damn my weakness, Draco thought bitterly.  
  
After several moments of intense silence, Dumbledore stood up. His eyes flashed with unmistaken anger. He glared at Draco hard, causing the boy to shiver with fear. "You're the vampire?" he asked, his voice soft but stern at the same time.  
  
Draco nodded slowly, still shaking under Dumbledore's hard glare. O, I'm in for it now! Finally, after another tense silence, Dumbledore's features softened slightly and he sighed. He walked across the room and stood before Draco. Draco felt as if he were as small and helpless and a mouse trapped in a corner by a cat; he was the hunted and not the hunter. Draco was surprised when Dumbledore smiled softly and laid a hand on Draco's quivering shoulder and gripped it hard.  
  
"You've caused me a great deal of trouble, but I am not mad," Dumbledore began, causing Draco to sigh with slight relief. "I am glad that you stepped up and revealed yourself. Many others, if in your position, would have hid in a corner and attempted to hide out a hunter instead of just stepping up. I'm proud of you. And yes, my offer still stands. But, because you are a vampire, I need to know the answers to two questions. One, why did you kill Fenrir? And two, would you kill again?" Dumbledore released Draco's shoulder and stepped back, giving him a bit of room to breath and to think clearly.  
  
Draco locked eyes with Dumbledore, black hidden behind a veil of silver- blue looked into the deep depths of a wise, thoughtful ocean of sincerity. "I lost control of myself," Draco said, jerking his gaze away from Dumbledore and directing it at the stone floor. "I usually would have been able to have just shrugged the centaur off and left him alone, but I hadn't fed in weeks, and it was so tempting."  
  
Dumbledore gave Draco a questioning look. "Hadn't fed in weeks?" he repeated.  
  
"I- I could feel someone watching me wherever I went. I couldn't feed," Draco explained, purposely leaving out the part about the hunter.  
  
Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "And the second question?"  
  
Draco paused, thinking. Finally, he looked back up at Dumbledore, making sure not to look into those eyes. For some strange reason, they made him a bit uneasy. Maybe he saw just a bit too much sincerity in those eyes than he could handle.  
  
"I won't lie to you, sir," Draco began. "I am a vampire, after all. I can't assure you that I will be able to control myself as well as I have for the past year. I've come close to slipping many times, and the only reason I haven't was because I had to be sure I didn't slip when I was at home. There could come a point where I may not be able to do anything and will kill on sight, sir. That is your answer. I cannot assure you that I won't kill, but I can assure you that I will try ten times harder to control myself than I have been doing in the last year."  
  
Dumbledore stood silent for a while, apparently thinking. He gave Draco an appraising look, then smiled. "You're a good lad, you know that? And I would like you to know that I trust you. I think that all people, even the worst like Lord Voldermort, deserve a second chance, though I assure you that Voldermort has had many chances and he's blown them all. Now, if you try you're best to control yourself, I will make sure that you don't starve, so we don't have this problem again. But, rest assured, Mr. Malfoy, that if you ever harm a student, I will make sure you a duly punished. Is that fair enough?"  
  
Draco smiled in relief and nodded.  
  
"Good," Dumbledore said, striding over to the door and opening it. "Now run along, and mind yourself."  
  
Draco nodded again and left the room. When he heard the door click shut, he had quite a time just keeping himself from whooping. Now why didn't I go to him in the first place? he asked himself. Look at all the trouble it could have saved me! Draco grinned as he shoved his hands in his pockets and whistled the tune of 'Fly Me To the Moon' as he walked down the stairs and back into the school.  
  
*****  
  
Draco merrily entered the Slytherin Commons, receiving many strange looks as he strutted past the younger students, still humming the tune of 'Fly Me To the Moon'. He started up the stairs, but was stopped at the foot of the staircase by Pansy.  
  
"Why are you so happy?" she snarled, her arms crossed over her chest.  
  
"Still mad, are we?" Draco asked, his voice still merry.  
  
"Who wouldn't be?" Pansy snarled back. "You should be devastated by now! I heard from Professor Snape—"  
  
"You need to cut out the gossip, you know that?" Draco asked, his voice not losing its happy tone. "It really will get you in a lot of trouble one day."  
  
"But—" Pansy began.  
  
"Oh, shut up Pansy," Draco said, brushing past her and hurrying up the stairs. Pansy snarled and followed him like a hunting dog.  
  
"Hey! You don't just shove Pansy Parkinson out of the way and expect to get away with it!" she nearly yelled at him.  
  
Draco spun around. They were right in front of the door leading to his dorm now. "Look, Pansy," he growled impatiently, "consider yourself incredibly lucky that I promised Professor Dumbledore that I would not kill a student, because if I hadn't you'd be the first I'd call a meal."  
  
Pansy opened he mouth to say something, but Draco spun around, threw the dormitory door open, strode in and slammed it behind him before the words had the chance to form on her lips.  
  
Draco rushed over to his bed and threw himself upon it, laughing. Blaise Zabini looked up from his spot on the bed, where he sat reading some Muggle book. "What's so funny?" Blaise asked.  
  
"You should have seen the look on her face!" Draco laughed. "It was completely hilarious!" Draco hugged his middle and laughed. "My side hurts," he giggled, rolling onto his side.  
  
"You're so easily amused," Blaise sighed, placing his book on the bed and going over to Draco's, sitting down next to him. "Whose face? And why was it so funny?"  
  
"Pansy's!" Draco said, still giggling uncharacteristically. "The little bitch! It's the first time I have ever seen her lost for words! And… that face! She looked like a pissed off mutt!"  
  
Blaise cracked a grin and shook his head. "More?" he asked, finding Draco's explanation more than a little amusing.  
  
Draco sat up and stopped laughing, though his mouth was still hid behind a huge grin. "Well, you see, she's been blackmailing me, and I just got the best of her, and now she's totally pissed," he explained. He grinned broadly, and then started giggling again.  
  
Blaise pictured Pansy's pug-like face, then joined in, laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face. "I can just see her!" he said, shaking his head in amusement. "Well, can't say she didn't deserve it." The laughter died down, but their grins stayed, pasted on their faces. "Why was she blackmailing you?"  
  
Draco's grin disappeared and was replaced by a thoughtful expression. "You know," he said, "I bet that she and Lita had another fight. I remember Lita yelling at her about taking advantage of me just to spite her. I'll bet you that's why."  
  
"To get back at Lita?" Blaise cocked his head to one side. He sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, that's probably why. She really is a little bitch."  
  
"Who?" Draco asked, frowning. "Are you talking about Pansy or Lita?"  
  
"Pansy."  
  
"Oh, good."  
  
Draco stood up and stretched. "Gods, my side hurts," he groaned. "Too much laughing for one day."  
  
Blaise chuckled. "Yeah. You know, we should really get back down. Poor Alexis, left all alone to watch over the Common Room," Blaise sighed shaking his head.  
  
Draco nodded and headed for the door. "That's a really good idea," he said. "I need to talk to Lita, anyway."  
  
Blaise nodded back and followed Draco out of the room. They hurried down the stairs and entered the crowded Common Room. Draco quickly glanced around. Where is she? he asked himself.  
  
Draco's eyes reluctantly fell on Pansy, who was sitting at a table across the room with Millicent Bullstode. Draco heaved a great sigh. "What's wrong?" Blaise asked.  
  
"I'll see you later," Draco muttered, striding across the room to the table where Pansy sat. "Pansy," Draco muttered reluctantly.  
  
"Hiya, Draco!" Millicent said cheerfully.  
  
"Hi, Millicent," Draco said, straining a smile in her direction. He turned back to Pansy. "Pansy, have you seen—"  
  
"Have I seen that little tramp girlfriend of yours?" Pansy finished, looking up at Draco. "Yes, but not recently. She left soon after you did this morning."  
  
"Uh, thanks," Draco said, ignoring the homicidal look on Pansy's face. "Do you know where she went?"  
  
"No, and I don't care," Pansy growled. "Go find her on your own, I'm not going to help you."  
  
"I was just asking if you knew where she was, I wasn't asking you to assist me in a crusade, geeze," Draco said, spinning around and heading out of the Common Room.  
  
*****  
  
Draco rushed through the halls searching everywhere he could think of for Lita. Finally, after at least an hour of searching, he found himself at the foot of the staircase leading into the Astronomy Tower. He froze in mid step.  
  
He could feel the phantom.  
  
He glared up the Astronomy Tower steps. It's up there, he thought.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy! Why aren't you in your Common Room?" came Dumbledore's voice from behind him. Draco ignored it as he frowned in frustration.  
  
No more running away.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore placed a hand on Draco's shoulder in concern, but Draco still ignored him.  
  
It's time to end this.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, are you alright?"  
  
Now I'll finally find out who you are.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy!" Dumbledore called as Draco suddenly broke away from his grasp and rushed up the stairs. He ran up them two at a time, heading toward the aura. He wouldn't run away any more. He'd end this now.  
  
Draco reached the top and stood before a pair of large, double oak doors. He could feel the aura, and it was stronger than ever. And it was right behind those doors.  
  
Draco placed his hands on the doors and threw them open. He entered the room and gasped at what he saw.  
  
Oh, sweet damnation!  
  
*****  
  
A/N—Well, there it is. And yet another cliffy! ::rubs hands together evilly:: I do hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. By the way, I'd like you all to meet the muse that created this story. Put your hands together for ::drum roll:: Avria!  
  
Avria—::flutters in and bows:: Thank you! Thank you!  
  
::crickets chirping::  
  
Avria—Ahem! ::hands on hips::  
  
::silence::  
  
little lizard—Well, wonderful! Back to typing! ;p  
  
Avria—I'm still waiting for my applause! Show gratitude people! ::storms off:: No respect! Absolutely no respect! 


	7. The Ending Solution

A/N— Yeah! Final chapter!!!! ::dance dance:: WEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!  
  
Avria: Would you cut that out?  
  
Me!: SHUT UP!!! Muses are so mean…  
  
Avria: ::smile::  
  
Me!: ARGH!!!!  
  
Disclaimer—Gods, I can't believe I STILL have to say this… ::shakes head:: K, I don't own this. ::points down:: She does ::points to JK:: I own Lita and Celest. Use them without my permission and DIE!  
  
*****  
  
Chapter Seven—The Ending Solution  
  
Across the dimly lighted room stood Lita. Her back was facing Draco and she was gazing lazily out the window. She was dressed entirely in black, including black gloves, and long black coat, and a large-rimmed black hat. On her belt hung a sheathed sword. "Hello, Draco," she said icily, her usually kind and gentle voice tinted with an uncharacteristic contempt.  
  
"Lita…. What?" Draco stuttered, startled into a feeling that was rather incomprehensible to him. His mind whirled as he stood there, trying with all his might to re-gather all his thoughts and feelings back together.  
  
"What do you think, my dear vampire friend?" Lita asked, spinning around to reveal her outfit. "Think it suits me? A deliver of death?" She smiled maliciously and twisted her body to give the dumbstruck Draco a view from all angles, as if she were a model in a fashion show.  
  
Draco gawked in surprise, and then shook his head as if trying to convince himself that it was all just a hoax. Lita couldn't be the hunter! The very thought of it was morbid and utterly disgusting! She was his best friend, wasn't she?  
  
"Lita… what happened to you?" Draco asked, his voice shaky.  
  
"Quite being such a cynic!" Lita said. "Nothing has happened to me. This is who I've always been."  
  
"Who said I was being cynical?" Draco asked in surprise. "You're not the same Lita I've always known! What's happened?"  
  
"This is the same Lita you've always known, just a different side that you've never bothered to notice," Lita said coldly. "I've just decided it was about time to drop the act. You know, stop being the jovial, happy-go- lucky, friendly little Miss. Congeniality that every one thinks I am."  
  
Draco's face saddened as he stared at his best friend standing across the room, grasping the hilt of a sheathed sword. No! his mind screamed. Lita is not the hunter! She just can't be! "No," he choked.  
  
"Yes, Draco," Lita said silkily. "Yes. I am the hunter."  
  
"But, you… you," Draco stuttered.  
  
"I was your friend?" Lita suggested. "Your ally? Your most trusted acquaintance? Any of these would fit perfectly, wouldn't they?"  
  
Draco narrowed his eyes, his face growing hot with anger. Lita betrayed him! He couldn't believe it! He felt like slapping her, but he found himself unable to move. No, his mind said. I won't hurt her.  
  
Lita laughed. "Gee, Draco, I was beginning to think you were a bit obtuse! You, a top student, unable to see the truth that dangled mealy inches in front of your face! Unable to see that I was the hunter! And only two nights ago, feeling my presence in an empty Common Room! Ha!"  
  
You know, it might be easier to hurt her than I thought. "Oh, how stupid of me," Draco said, his voice filled with cold sarcasm. "To think that I never suspected my best friend of pulling a con on me and using my trust against me! What a dupe am I!"  
  
Lita pulled the sword from its sheath and Draco didn't need to feel the strong aura from across the room to recognize it as a hunter's blade. "Well, unfortunately for you, the only thing I'll steal from you in this con is your life!"  
  
"Your so brave against one who is unarmed," Draco growled. "And to think I stood up for you, bitch!"  
  
Lita smiled mockingly. "Yes, you are unarmed. What a wonderful insight on your part, Draco. Try to be less impertinent and I'll make this quick and as painless as possible, but, let me be the first to tell you that being rude to a hunter is like signing your own death sentence." Lita raised the sword, ran forward towards Draco and swiped it down again.  
  
Draco jumped away, narrowly evading the attack. "Hey! Watch it! You could hurt someone with that!"  
  
"That's the point!" Lita yelled through clenched teeth as she raised the blade and swung it at Draco again.  
  
Draco ducked the strike, dropping down and swinging his leg under Lita's, catching her at the knees and sending her to the ground. "And you're not a very accomplished hunter, if you ask me. You should have hit me with that attack. Either that or you should have evaded mine," he growled. His intimate feeling of friendship with Lita had vanished and was replaced with a feeling of abhor.  
  
Draco backed away from Lita as she jumped up from her spot on the floor. She tightened her grip on the sword and swung it at Draco again, narrowly missing him once more.  
  
"Hold still!" she growled.  
  
"Like hell I will!" Draco yelled back, kicking Lita hard in the gut and sending her across the room. Her sword flew from her hand as she rammed into the wall.  
  
Lita stood up and threw herself at Draco in a blind fury, her sword lying forgotten on the floor.  
  
"Why? Why'd you have to get mixed up with a vampire?" Lita cried as she shoved Draco to the ground.  
  
"It wasn't my fault!" Draco yelled, rolling out of the way as Lita attempted to pin him down. He jumped up. "It's not like I had a choice!"  
  
"Yes you did!" Lita yelled back, running over and picking her sword up and gripping it tightly. "You could have just stayed home! You didn't have to go wandering in the woods at night!"  
  
"Would you stop scolding me?" Draco growled. "I have realized it was a stupid idea! I mean, look at me! I'm a vampire!"  
  
Lita kicked Draco hard in the chest, sending him into the wall. She pinned him to the wall with the tip of her blade and glared at him with tears in her eyes. "If you had just listened! If you hadn't been so damn naïve I wouldn't have to do this!" Lita raised her sword with one hand and held Draco's shoulder tightly with the other. Draco stood completely still and didn't try to break out of her grasp.  
  
"Lita," he said softly, his voice genial and soft. "You don't have to do this."  
  
"Yes. Yes I do, Draco," Lita said sadly, gripping the hilt of the sword tighter. "I love you dearly. You're my friend. But, I'm a hunter, Draco. And the crimes you have committed are no larceny. I have no choice."  
  
"And I'm a vampire. Killing is what vampires do. Do you think that I had a choice?" Draco asked. He was answered with silence, so he continued. "Lita, is this the reason you were constantly offering me your own blood? To keep me from killing so that you wouldn't have to kill me?"  
  
Lita nodded. "I'm sorry. But you should have listened."  
  
"Yes, I should have," Draco agreed. "Now, unfortunately, this ha turned into a game of survival. Survival of the fittest." Draco jerked away from Lita so suddenly that she was left dumbstruck. In a moment, Draco had knocked Lita sword out of her hand, kicked her to the ground, retrieved her sword and pinned her down with her own weapon.  
  
"I'm sorry," Draco said softly, a tear rolling down his cheek. "You've given me no choice, as well."  
  
Lita nodded in understanding, closed her eyes, and lifted her chin, exposing her throat and leaving herself completely venerable. Draco gulped and raised the sword. "I'm sorry," he repeated.  
  
In a movement as smooth as water flowing down a calm mountain stream and as quick as a flash of lightning, Draco brought the sword down upon his friend and his adversary, and drove the blade through her heart.  
  
Lita gasped. Her eyes flew open and her face wrenched up in pain. Draco yanked the blade from her chest and steadied himself with it, using it like a cane. Moments later, Lita's head fell to the floor, he eyes rolled back in her head and her entire body went limp.  
  
She was dead.  
  
Draco dropped to his knees. "I did it," he said in an emotionless voice. "I actually did it. I killed Lita." He glanced helplessly around the room. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, an escape maybe, but he knew it wasn't there. The helpless feeling grew stronger. Draco looked down at the hand still clutching Lita's sword.  
  
He stood up and walked across the room, dragging the sword along the floor in a cumbersome manner. His stride was jerky and uneven. He dropped the sword and let it clatter to the floor. He turned around and walked back to Lita's limp body, dropped to his knees and touched her cheek, brushing his fingertips along her still warm skin.  
  
Draco pulled his hand away and pulled his knees to his chest. He hugged his knees, buried his face in his arms and started to cry.  
  
*****  
  
--The summer before 6th year--  
  
Draco wrote in slow, neat strokes on a piece of parchment. He was in a huge library at a table in the corner by a large window that looked out onto the vast forest that surrounded the Malfoy Manor. The music from downstairs floated along the hall outside and into the library itself. It was a soothing tune that one could easily fall asleep to, but Draco found it utterly annoying.  
  
He stood up and hurried across the room to close the door when it creaked all the way open. Lita walked into the library and smiled when she saw Draco. She was wearing a plain burgundy evening gown with a burgundy shall thrown across her shoulders and sparkly black high-heels, and, even though the dress wasn't flashy or gaudy with high slits and low cuts, like Draco often saw women wearing when they came to one of Narcissa's parties, Draco thought she looked absolutely gorgeous.  
  
"I was looking for you," Lita said, stepping into the library and shutting the door. "I thought you might be in here."  
  
"Yeah," Draco said, spinning around and heading back across the room to the table. He mentally slapped himself. Yeah? That sounded smart, Draco! Why don't you stand in front of her and just gawk? That might be more intelligent!  
  
Lita followed him across the room and looked down at the table. "What ya doin'?" she asked.  
  
"Finishing my quota of History of Magic homework, and isn't it a pain?" Draco replied.  
  
"Your doing homework instead of going down to the party?" Lita asked, picking up Draco's essay. She gawked at it. "Draco," she said in a bland tone of voice. "This essay was only supposed to be 3 and a half pages long. Yours is 5 pages and it's not even done yet! Not to mention the writing is small!"  
  
Draco nodded diligently, showing Lita she had his full attention. "So," he said, waiting for an explanation.  
  
Lita shook her head in amusement and sighed. "Superfluous," she said.  
  
"You like that word, don't you?" Draco laughed.  
  
"Well, it does fit, doesn't it?" Lita asked, smiling. "You do way too much work, you know that?"  
  
Draco gave her his best innocent face, which would have easily fool someone who didn't know him as well as Lita did, and Lita already considered him a demon child.  
  
Lita laughed. "Nice try, hot-shot," she said, sitting down in an armchair by the table. "But, why don't you come back down to the party with me? Your father's looking for you."  
  
"More the reason for me to stay here," Draco replied. "My father's a rich tycoon who shows off too much. This may be one of Narcissa's parties, but when I go down I know he'll do exactly what he always does. Show me off to his business associates like I'm some kind of fishing trophy. Besides, Narcissa's parties are always so dull and boring."  
  
Lita nodded in understanding and stood up. "I'm going back down," she stated. "Oh," she added, glancing out the window at the forest, "and I think it would be ideal if you didn't go venturing out tonight. There's… I don't know. I've just got a bad feeling."  
  
"Who said I was going to go venturing tonight?" Draco asked, cocking his head to one side in bewilderment.  
  
"Draco, whenever Narcissa holds a party, you end up going on a midnight stroll in the woods," Lita said, frowning.  
  
"It's soothing," Draco replied.  
  
Lita knew that he was talking about his real mother. She had died when he was six and Narcissa had become his stepmother shortly afterward. Draco's mother used to take him on walks down the forest paths and he had run away so many times when he was younger for reasons that were beyond him that he knew the forest incredibly well.  
  
Lita sighed. "Please, Draco. Listen to me for once and just don't," she pleaded.  
  
Draco was staring out the window, but he nodded. Lita sighed and walked out of the room, fully aware that Draco's mind had drifted away and he hadn't heard her.  
  
*****  
  
1 She warned me, Draco thought. Why didn't I listen? Draco raised his head and looked at Lita's limp form again. He dried his eyes with the sleeve of his robes and frowned in self-disgust. If only I had listened! None of this would of happened! Lita would still be alive! And she's right, I was naïve… and I still am.  
  
Draco stood up and bowed his head. You never listen, said a voice in the back of his mind. It's like a chronic illness for you. Always do what you want. Get depressed about things that happened ten years ago! Never take peoples advice no matter how well you know that it is right! Now, look where it has gotten you!  
  
Draco glanced up and down Lita's body. A flash of light on her belt caught his eye. He knelt down and grabbed the hilt of a dagger and pulled it from its sheath. The blade glittered in the moonlight and gave off and aura that he recognized. This was a dagger designed for a hunter.  
  
You might as well, said the voice. Was that his conscience? Did Draco Malfoy have a conscience? He didn't know nor did he care, but he listened to the voice.  
  
There's nothing left for me here.  
  
A pessimistic feeling that the entire world was against him coursed through Draco's veins. He grasped the hilt of the dagger hard, and then positioned it at his chest.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered again. His palms became sweaty and he gripped the hilt ever-harder thinking that it might slip from his grasp. He bit his bottom lip hard as he started to shake. From what? Fear? Fear of what? Why would he fear death when he was so used to delivering it by now. Maybe it was because he knew it was the end of it all. He bit into his lip harder until his teeth broke the skin. A trail of blood trickled down his chin.  
  
Draco closed his eyes and sat unmoving for a moment, and then drove the dagger into his chest and through his heart.  
  
Draco gasped and his eyes flew open. He pulled the dagger from his chest and let it fall from his hand. He fell forward and onto Lita's chest. He clutched his hand into a fist, digging his nails into his skin. He closed his eyes again and his world went black.  
  
The next morning, Dumbledore found the two bodies on the floor of the tower. And the story of 500 years was replayed again with reversed roles, but the same woe.  
  
*****  
  
A/N—And there it is folks! Hope you liked it… I'm going to right a sequel… or a prequel, more like it. It's a prequel that is written as a sequel, or something of that sort. Never mind. Just review… puhleeeease… ::puppy eyes::  
  
Fic End 


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